Technology

Here are some hints and the answer for Wordle No. 1304 for Monday, Jan. 13.

• Lenovo presented a 3.5-inch mock-up of an 'AI storage device', which could be a portable SSD, a NAS, or something new
• Not a product announcement, but a proof of concept
• But presence of a red ring on one of the ports may indicate that it will be a ThinkStorage product

Lenovo has unveiled a new concept device at CES called "AI Storage", which could be the company’s first AI-assisted NAS (Network Attached Storage).

The apparent prototype features a minimalist, space-efficient design with ventilation grilles on the right side for either active or passive cooling.

The 3.5-inch mock-up could be more than a traditional NAS, in that it might also function as a portable SSD, or serve an entirely new purpose, blurring the lines between storage and AI integration.

A smarter future for storage?

The concept image shows that this device will support a standard RJ45 Ethernet port accompanied by dual status LEDs. These could indicate active connectivity or possibly its association with Lenovo’s ThinkStorage branding.

A visible USB-C port should enable high-speed data transfers via USB 3.2 or Thunderbolt protocols. There's also another USB-C port marked with a distinctive red ring, presumably for power.

It's important to note that a good number of concept devices never make it to the market. Whether this device will evolve into a full-fledged NAS or will work as a versatile storage solution remains to be seen.

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• Modular laptop vendor Framework said it will launch a RISC-V product in 2025
• RISC-V is the equivalent of Linux for hardware, open source and free
• More tech companies are adopting but it has yet to hit mainstream in a meaningful way

RISC-V, an open source ISA developed at the University of California, Berkeley in 2010, has steadily been gaining attention as a customizable alternative to proprietary ISAs like x86 and Arm.

Its license-free approach allows manufacturers to create and modify processors without restrictions, leading to adoption in various specialized applications, and this year could mark a key step toward broader consumer adoption of the architecture.

For RISC-V to truly reach the mainstream, it still needs to gain traction in the laptop market. Hong Kong–based DeepComputing introduced the first RISC-V notebook, the Roma, in 2023, followed by the DC-Roma II in 2024, which shipped with Ubuntu Linux pre-installed. While praised for its open-source flexibility, the laptop’s performance lagged behind x86 and Arm alternatives - but speaking to IEEE Spectrum, DeepComputing CEO Yuning Liang said the company's upcoming DC-Roma III will close that gap with performance comparable to the Arm Cortex-A76.

Enter Framework

Perhaps even more excitingly, DeepComputing is collaborating with Framework, a company known for its modular, repairable laptops, to create a RISC-V motherboard for the Framework Laptop 13. Nirav Patel, CEO of Framework, said, "If we look at a couple of generations down the [software] stack, we’re starting to see a line of sight to consumer-ready RISC-V in something like a laptop, or even a phone.”

According to IEEE Spectrum, "Though still intended for early adopters and developers, it will be the most accessible and polished RISC-V laptop yet, and it will ship to users with the same look and feel as the Framework laptops that use x86 chips."

Following the initial announcement in June 2024, Framework launched a product page for the RISC-V motherboard, but it remains a placeholder.

DeepComputing's site however, reveals more details, including images of the DC-Roma RISC-V Mainboard for the Framework 13 Laptop, one of which you can see at the top of the page. The board is powered by the RISC-V 64-bit quad-core CPU JH7110, and supports both Ubuntu Desktop 24.04 and Fedora 41.

RISC-V has already been embraced by a number of tech companies. Western Digital uses it for storage controllers, British startup Blueshift Memory's BlueFive processor is built on an open-source RISC-V core, the Chinese XiangShan project has developed two RISC-V designs, and Ubitium has a universal RISC-V processor that consolidates all computing workloads onto a single, affordable chip.

We will likely see more details about Framework's RISC-V Laptop 13 in the coming months, but given the current focus on developers and early adopters, along with performance limitations compared to established architectures like x86 and Arm, it seems fair to say that while this is unquestionably a huge step forward for the architecture, RISC-V isn’t ready for mainstream consumer adoption quite yet.

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• The AI headphones would offer real-time translation and AI-generated voice cloning
• Given the design, I expect it to be rolled out as part of the Think family
• It could be paired with Lenovo's AI-driven action assistant

At CES 2025, Lenovo showed off prototype AI-powered headphones it hopes will elevate language skills for workers everywhere.

The standout feature is the headphones' ability to provide real-time translation, enabling users to interact across different languages.

The prototype also introduced a new feature called AI-generated voice cloning, which allows the headphones to mimic a user’s voice accurately.

Advanced health features and Action Assistant

The concept also incorporates advanced health monitoring features through Lenovo Virtual Care, which combines biometric tracking with an AI-powered virtual assistant for personalized wellness insights.

These headphones could also integrate with Lenovo’s Action Assistant, a task automation concept also unveiled at CES 2025.

Powered by a large action model (LAM), Action Assistant can understand natural language instructions to perform complex workflows.

From the concept image, Lenovo’s AI headphones integrate seven key ports and buttons - including volume - on one ear.

Adjacent to this is a multi-function button, likely designated for playing or pausing media, answering calls, or activating a voice assistant.

The concept also features with a foldable microphone arm which can swing to any direction for clear audio capture.

A USB-C port should support fast charging and potentially wired connectivity. There's also a dedicated power button as well as a speaker grille that features a perforated design.

Finally, the AI headphones' design is rounded out by a padded and adjustable headband which is usually used to provide comfort during extended wear.

It's worth reiterating that Lenovo’s AI headphones are just a prototype; and pointing out that a significant number of prototypes never reach commercial availability.

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• The OnePlus Open 2 could be arriving imminently
• A tougher, lighter, thinner build is rumored
• The Honor Magic V3 is currently the thinnest foldable

The OnePlus Open 2 is shaping up to be a fantastic foldable, with new details leaking out about what to expect from the phone: apparently it'll be the thinnest foldable to date, while also offering an upgraded titanium build.

These predictions come from two well-known tipsters, Digital Chat Station and Smart Pikachu (via Android Authority). Both leaks mention the Oppo Find N5, which is expected to be marketed as the OnePlus Open 2 outside of China – just like the Oppo Find N3 was rebadged as the original OnePlus Open.

There's a mention of the foldable being the "thinnest in the world" (as per Google Translate). That would mean the OnePlus Open 2 would have to be less than the 9.2 mm thickness of the Honor Magic V3 when closed.

Indeed, this has been rumored since last September, which gives you a sense of the anticipation around the second foldable from OnePlus. We don't get any information about just how thin the phone could be, but it sounds like it will be super-thin.

Lighter and tougher

The Honor Magic V3 is currently the thinnest foldable (Image credit: Future)

Across these two leaks we get a mention of titanium being used in the build, and a "new industrial design, focusing on durability" (again via Google Translate). That suggests we're looking at a phone that will be both lighter and tougher.

There's also talk of a triple-lens camera with periscope zoom and Hasselblad engineering, satellite communication capabilities, a Snapdragon 8 Extreme Edition chipset, a battery approaching a capacity of 6,000 mAh (as previously rumored), and wireless charging – all of which sounds good to us.

One of these tipsters mentions a half a year gap between the next foldable phone and this one – and with new foldables from Google and Samsung expected around July time, the OnePlus Open 2 could be with us before the end of February.

There has been some debate about when the OnePlus Open 2 would see the light of day – bear in mind the first OnePlus Open phone launched in October 2023, so we've now been waiting more than a year for its successor.

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• The LG UltraFine 32U990A has a gorgeous design and targets creatives
• Its Thunderbolt 5 port makes it a perfect complement for Apple's Pro range
• It is the third 6K monitor after Dell and Apple's Pro Display XDR

If you’re in the market for a new monitor that’s going to last you a while, LG’s 32-inch UltraFine 32U990A, showcased at CES 2025, definitely fits the bill. Judging by the image released with the announcement, the monitor sports a minimalist design with ultra-thin bezels and a sleek stand.

Although details are a little lacking, the UltraFine 32U990A is the world’s first 6K high-resolution monitor to feature Thunderbolt 5 connectivity. This could potentially enable refresh rates of up to 120Hz (which would be quite something), but LG has yet to confirm the exact specifications.

What we do know is that the screen features a Nano IPS Black panel, designed for exceptional color accuracy and high contrast. It offers a wide color gamut covering 99.5% of Adobe RGB and 98% of DCI-P3, making it ideal for creative professionals working with high-end content creation.

A great match for the Apple Mac Mini M4

The monitor’s 6K resolution provides nearly 40% more screen real estate than a standard 5K display, positioning it as a competitor to Apple’s Pro Display XDR, though likely at a more affordable price point.

For comparison, Apple’s Pro Display XDR delivers a resolution of 6016 x 3384 pixels with a pixel density of 218 ppi, 1,000 nits of sustained brightness, up to 1,600 nits peak brightness, and a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio. Dell’s UltraSharp 32 6K Monitor (U3224KBA), another competitor, offers a 6144 x 3456 resolution at 60Hz but that only has Thunderbolt 4.

With its professional-grade resolution and Thunderbolt 5 support, the UltraFine 32U990A would be a great match for Apple’s Mac Mini M4 - if you’re prepared to step outside Apple’s ecosystem and opt for a third-party display, that is.

LG's CES announcement says, “With calibration software support, this monitor is perfect for media professionals, while its slim, geometric design enhances both aesthetics and user convenience to satisfy every kind of user.”

Pricing and availability details have yet to be revealed, but are expected soon.

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• SanDisk could be onto something by adding the word Creator to product names
• 3 new products released at CES 2025 are actually refreshes with different color schemes
• Only the Creator Phone SSD is a genuinely new product

CES is when many tech firms announce or launch their latest and greatest products - but sometimes what’s being shown isn’t quite as new as it seems.

Case in point is SanDisk’s new range of Creator storage products, announced at CES 2025. If you’re a creator, or aspire to be one, you’ll probably be very interested in these, as they are clearly tailored to your needs - however, "caveat emptor" as the Romans used to say - buyer beware.

This is because the bright blue 8TB SanDisk Creator Desk Drive, priced at $629.99, looks good and promises 1000MB/s sequential reads. But then, so does the SanDisk Desk Drive, which has a very similar model number, doesn’t include the word “Creator” in its name and isn’t blue, but is cheaper at $549.99 – a not to be sniffed at saving of $80.

Paying a premium for the color

Perhaps you’re looking to buy a microSDXC card. SanDisk has you covered here too.

Its new 1TB Creator microSD Card (in blue!) is designed for use in slotted Android phones and tablets, drones, action cams, and digital cameras, including standard point-and-shoot, digital single-lens reflex (DSLR), and mirrorless (MIL) models - all the devices a creator might use. Plus, it’s temperature-proof, humidity-proof, drop-proof, and waterproof, which is important if you're out and about.

A bargain at $159.99 - or… you could buy the 1TB SanDisk Extreme microSDXC card instead. Sure, it doesn’t specifically list the devices you can use it in, but it’s essentially the same product and $67 cheaper at $92.99.

Perhaps you want a portable SSD, like the SanDisk Creator Pro? Available in – you guessed it – a pretty blue color, it offers up to 4TB capacity and up to 2000MB/s read speeds, letting you back up and access your content with NVMe SSD performance. Good value at $349.99, right? Unless you’re not bothered about the color, in which case you can pick up the extremely similar SanDisk Extreme PRO (reviewed here) for $299.99 and save $50 - enough to buy some blue paint if you really want to match.

Or maybe you’d like to buy the SanDisk Creator Phone SSD (see below), available in 1TB or 2TB capacities, which is designed for producing content on the go by attaching to any MagSafe-compatible smartphone. That doesn’t have a price at the moment, because, unlike SanDisk's other Creator-branded storage it’s actually a new product, and one that looks genuinely useful.

We can’t blame SanDisk for rebadging old products to appeal to the creator market - it’s a smart business move. But unless you’re particularly attached to the blue color, you can enjoy some decent savings by buying the non-Creator versions instead.

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• ASICs are far more efficient than GPUs for inference, not unlike mining cryptocurrency
• The Inference AI chip market is expected to grow exponentially by the end of this decade
• Hyperscalers like Google have already jumped on the bandwagon

Nvidia, already a leader in AI and GPU technologies, is moving into the Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) market to address growing competition and shifting trends in AI semiconductor design.

The global rise of generative AI and large language models (LLMs) has significantly increased the demand for GPUs, and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang confirmed in 2024 the company will recruit 1000 engineers in Taiwan.

Now, as reported by Taiwan's Commercial Times (originally published in Chinese), the company has now established a new ASIC department and is actively recruiting talent.

The rise of inference chips

Nvidia’s H series GPUs optimized for AI learning tasks have been widely adopted for training AI models. However, the AI semiconductor market is undergoing a shift toward inference chips, or ASICs.

This surge is driven by the demand for chips optimized for real-world AI applications, such as large language models and generative AI. Unlike GPUs, ASICs offer superior efficiency for inference tasks, as well as cryptocurrency mining.

According to Verified Market Research, the inference AI chip market is projected to rise from a 2023 valuation of $15.8 billion to $90.6 billion by 2030.

Major tech players including Google have already embraced custom ASIC designs in its AI chip "Trillium", made generally available in December 2024.

The shift toward custom AI chips has intensified competition among semiconductor giants. Companies such as Broadcom and Marvell have surged in relevance and stock value as they collaborate with cloud service providers to develop specialized chips for data centers.

To stay ahead, Nvidia’s new ASIC department focuses on leveraging local expertise by recruiting from leading companies like MediaTek.

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